Na Woo Woo, Nuh Ow Ow: Pro Baseball, Pro Edition

Did you know that currently, only 4 Major League baseball teams lack a mascot? (MGX indicated this to me.) The Cubs, of Chicago, Illinois, are one of these four teams. However, they do have a sort of unofficial mascot. Well, really, he's a superfan: one Ronnie "Woo-Woo". So called because he's prone to shouting "woo".



Download Wilson Pickett's "Land of 1,000 Dances"

So, this Wilson Pickett song may have a "woo or two" in it. It definitely has some "huh", "ow", "uh" action. And it has the famous
"na, na na na, na nuh na na nuh na nana"
starting about :35. You know, what they play at baseball games all the time.

(Do they play music at pro football games? Could you even hear it outside? If not, how do the players get pumped up- other than steroids?)

Ronnie "Woo Woo"'s been attending games from about 1959, which is before my mother was born (hey Ma!).
While his demeanor and devotion to attendance have gained him fame in the Greater ChicagoLands area, his life has not been all sun and roses: no, far from it. He's been homeless (but still attended games, thanks to generous other parties), and later, a fundraiser was held for him so he could get a new pair of dentures.

Poor guy was born prematurely, which shows you: he's a fighter, he's always been a fighter.

He was even struck by a car outside the game once, and had to go to a Masonic hospital, which would frighten me.
What if they make you join up?
Or, worse, what if you ask to join, but they become cryptic all of the sudden, and then your pain meds start getting reduced, and you know, it gets pretty painful. All this, simply because you wanted a sweet ring like these:







Or, mayhaps, this is the ring you always wanted :

Slave's Slide

Here is a quick blast for the weekend:



The band Slave on Youtube, performing their classic laidback funk "Slide"

Man, I'm sitting down, but that can't stop me from twisting around in my seat-
that's how good this song is. Little blasts of horns, guitars all slinking around. They keep the words few, so you can just ride the beat. Words like "I ain't gonna bite ya, I just want you to hang on [or out?]."

This album is really great. I think it is also called "Slave", which makes this hard stuff to search for on the internet.
Much of it isn't on Youtube (only this song, as far as I can see); I know, I know, that seems impossible. But trust me, looking around for Youtube clips to post, for some of this stuff, just doesn't do nuthin'.
This is not even some way-out-there obscure stuff.

(See explanation below...)

I mean, look at where this song is from, at least for this particular clip: from a "pure funk classics" mix, right? So not underground like moles or anything. But still, the other songs I love off this record, like "Screw Your Wig On Tite", "Son of Slide", "Separated"- not to be found.
In fact, YouTube has a clip about slaves being separated, but not "Separated" by Slave. Not real slaves- it is some contest to edit Prince of Persia, King of Pharaoh type stuff. ??!??

I don't get it; maybe one of you 4chan types can explain this. Also, could someone explain why "4chan" does not get spell-checked, but "Youtube" (and even "YouTube") does?

WHAT KIND OF CRZEE WORLD IS THIS?
And Crazy Continues: here is the explaino-convo about "bersenberber" above--> 4Chan-esque funny-esque fud mzspillin, aka internet food misspellings.



ha huh huh !

Summer is Heavenly

Okay, brief rundown of all the traxxx on the recent mix- Summer Showerz: LoveLeigh Days.

Listen to a track from ze mix: "Spirit In The Sky", by Norm Greenbaum.

(if you want a higher quality sound, listen to the YouTuber below; below has weird, weird religious stuff in it though- creepy, but we want
summery,
not creepy. Above is literally a guy recording him playing it on his den's jukebox: it has a certain je ne sais quoi, oui?)


Hold your breath here we goooooooo
Summer Shower Jamz: LoveLeigh Days.

Summer Madness ~O~ Kool & the Gang
chilled out, nice way to start the mix. Sampled by Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff, for "Summertime"; Jazzy will be at the Roots Picnic...

Reunion ~O~ Bobbie Gentry
Whoa now, an odd-ball, to get you intrigued about what your genius musical guide will pull next. A handclapped, bottle-smackin' little rhythm, a bit like 'Iko Iko'. First words, no joke: "Momma can I huh, Momma can I huh huh, can I Momma won't ya please let me Momma can I huh". About a family reunion: a little charmer, sweet funny little thing. Looks sumthin like this, but from deep down South




Maggie May ~O~ Rod Stewart
You know this.
DOWNLOAD Summer Showerz: LoveLeigh Days.

Summertime ~O~ Billy Stewart
Cover of sorts of a song from Gershwin's "Porgy & Bess". Evidently, during that show, they sing at among other times, during a craps game. Upbeat, lots of little darting guitars. Horns, man, horns. Tongue rolls, like so: 'dddddddddah!'.

Spirit In The Sky ~O~ Norman Greenbaum
aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh! If I were a DJ, like a pro who gets $, it would be an uncommon night out when I didn't play this. Right? My goodness, just listen to your ears! I'm killing you, just killing you, with this track right now. Big stomping drums. You could play this at 'A Flyers Hockey Game', and I bet they would win. A woman singing backup, in a falsetto.
Can women even sing falsetto? This one can!

Party Lights ~O~ Claudine Clark
Another Killer. Old rock/RnB. Girl is watching all her friends go to the party across the street, but Mom won't let her go! "There goes Jenny and Sue, and Bobby and Mary Lou, oh-oh-oh there goes my boyfriend too!" "Party lights, red and blue and green; everybody in the crowd is there, but you won't let me make the scene!" Real rapid fire snappy snare drums. Piano tinkling, and some peppy-ass horns make an appearance.

DOWNLOAD Summer Showerz: LoveLeigh Days.

In the Summertime ~O~ Mungo Jerry
A pic shall suffice:


If Not For You ~O~ Olivia Newton John
A pic shall suffice:


Summer Breeze ~O~ Isley Brothers
Told you about last time.

Two Tickets To Paradise ~O~ Eddie Money
"Oh, what?!?! Hit me again with that Eddie Money, Son!"
(That's you talking, after this song drops. You are driving, in a Camaro, f'real. Top off- on the car, you jokester...
"I'm gonna take you on a trip so far from here,
I've got two tickets in my pocket, now baby, we're gonna disappear.
We've waited so long, waited so long.

I've got two tickets to paradise,
Won't you pack your bags, we'll leave tonight,
I've got two tickets to paradise
[guitar solo- 32 bars]"

That's you singing it at karaoke, and really, it made our night.

I Fought The Law ~O~ Bobby Fuller Four
A pretty jaunty guitar in this song; really jaunty when you consider that the first lines are about 'breaking rocks in the hot sun'. We'll just bracket the rocks, okay, and focus on the sun, you feel me? A million famous people covered this song for a reason; that is, a reason beyond its sassy 'F-the-P' attitude- it is a funtime summertime spectacular.
I bet even cops like this song.

Summer ~O~ War
Return to Mellow. Almost all of War's stuff is proper for a summer mix; guys rocked a Texan melting pot thing; soul, Texana, sunbaked, relaxed. More horns, lazzzzzyyyy ones. "Summer: my time of year". Well-said, War, well-said.

DOWNLOAD Summer Showerz: LoveLeigh Days.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

aaaaand here is the creepy-video-version of Norm Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky".
I think someone kidnapped her daughter? And this someone may be the state of Missouri? And Jesus is angry about it? Or what?

Get Loose, Philadelphia

This weekend, Love Train pulls into town. Love Train will have tons of great soul and RnB acts (about many of whom I've dropped knowledge before) playing, all under one roof. All represent the classic "Philly Sound"; smooooooth jams from mostly the 70's and mostly penned/produced by legendary producers Gamble and Huff.


Download "Get Up Get Down Get Funky Get Loose" by Teddy Pendergrass

You should go, but you can't: tickets start at $55. (One site selling tickets insists that the cheap tickets have "awesome" views though; the mid-price tix have merely "great" views, and the most dear tickets have "brilliant" views.)



Love Train is a concert supporting the recent compilation of the same name, which aims to put the musical descriptor "The Philly Sound" into people's minds, right up there with "Motown" and "Stax".
Playing are Jerry Butler,
The O'Jays,

the Delfonics, the Jones Girls,

Harold Melvin's Bluenotes (which used to have Teddy Pendergrass in it), and the (new) Stylistics.

I've told you about Jerry Butler multiple times before; Internet tells me that he has an album called "Sings Assorted Sounds With The Aid of Assorted Friends and Relatives"

and Internet implies that he is a Freemason.


The Delfonics had a bigBIGbig hit with "Didn't I Blow Your Mind (This Time)", which I believe the New Kids on the Block re-recorded. So, you've heard the song before, guaranteed, whether old or "New" (Get it?). You also might have heard it when I included it on this mix, which is about how I am the best thing going these days.

The Stylistics were the first of these bands that I knew by name, way back in college. Not surprisingly, my knowledge/ownership of "The Philly Sound" much expanded once I actually lived in Philadelphia.


The first song by the Stylistics that I loved is called "Pieces"; I still love it but am usually annoyed by the rest of their jams. A little saccharine, a little cloying, a little treacly. All the lead singing is done in a falsetto, FYI, which you either like or don't (I like).